Disappearances Can Be Deceiving
by boswifedeb
Summary: Trying to concentrate on his fire investigation classes gets harder for PI Matt Houston when he agrees to take on a case involving a politician. **Immediately follows "An Unexpected Alliance"** Some are my characters and some are not. Rated T for subject matter.
1. Chapter 1

**Disappearances Can Be Deceiving**

****Immediately follows "An Unexpected Alliance"****

"**Be careful who you trust; **

**the devil was once an angel."**

**Unknown**

**CHAPTER 1**

"I'm sorry, ma'am. Mr. Houston isn't taking any new cases at the moment." Chris Chase tapped her pen on the message pad and looked up as the elevator chimed. Her bosses, Matt and CJ Houston stepped into the lobby hand- in-hand as usual. "Can you hold a moment, please?" She pushed a button on the phone. "Boss, would you please talk to this lady? This is the eighth time she's called since yesterday afternoon."

"Sure." He handed his daughter's carry seat to CJ and went on into the main part of his office, turning to the left and picking up the cordless phone on the bar while reaching for the ever-present pot of coffee. "Houston."

"Oh, thank you for taking my call." The lady on the other end of the line sounded panicked.

"Well ma'am, I'm sorry but…"

"I know your secretary said that you weren't taking any cases, but I need your help…please." She began crying.

"What exactly is the problem?" The PI poured himself a cup of coffee and walked across the office. Stepping over the back of the couch he sat down and took a sip as the woman began explaining.

"It's my husband…"

Grimacing, Matt shook his head. He couldn't count the number of phone calls he had received that started with the same words, but decided to hear her out.

"I'm sorry, I haven't even introduced myself. My name is Cecelia Lloyd. My husband is Senator Cade Lloyd."

"Yes ma'am, I've heard of him." Matt hated politics of any kind – and politicians even more so.

"Well as you know, the state senate is in session now. Cade keeps an apartment just a few blocks from the capital, but there have been some electrical problems in the building and it's been undergoing an extensive remodeling. It's very noisy with all that construction going on which makes it hard for Cade to concentrate. He called me last Thursday and told me he was going to be elsewhere over the weekend. I haven't heard from him since and he wasn't present Monday morning when the Senate reconvened. It's like he just dropped off the face of the earth. I need your help."

"Have you spoken with someone in his office? An assistant or…"

"Yes. Carlos Mendez has been his assistant for almost ten years. He called me to see if Cade had been home over the weekend."

"He didn't tell Mr. Mendez where he was staying?" To himself Matt thought _Red flag, lady. He's probably got a girlfriend._

"No, he wanted to be left alone. He's been working on a very important piece of legislation and didn't want to be bothered by anyone." There was quiet on the other end of the line. "Please, Mr. Houston."

"Have you spoken to the police in Sacramento?"

"Oh, heavens no! Cade would be furious. It would look scandalous."

"Uh huh, well…" He sighed. If she didn't sound like such a sweet lady it would be easier to tell her no. "I guess talking to a private investigator in that area would be out of the question?"

"Most certainly."

_Damn._ "Alright…" He stood and walked into CJ's office. She and Chris were grinning at each other. "I'll need to get a few details from you and then I'll need you to speak to my wife about a contract." He rolled his eyes as CJ held out her hand to Chris and the secretary slapped a dollar bill into it. Grabbing a legal pad and pen off of her desk he sat down on the loveseat and started getting the information that he needed to begin working. "I want to make sure that you understand that I can't promise results."

"I'm not worried, Mr. Houston; I know you'll find him."

Matt put her on hold and looked across at his wife. "A whole dollar, huh?" As he stood and went toward the stairs to the gym to pack a bag, the snickers from both ladies could be heard. He sighed as he went down the stairs. "So much for concentrating on your schoolwork, Mattlock."

Several minutes later he emerged with a bag on his shoulder. Going into CJ's office he watched as she pulled the signed contract from the fax machine. "You're all set, hon."

"Uh huh." He pulled her into his arms. "You could come with me."

"I don't think you want Catey and one of her dirty diapers tagging along on an investigation." The pair kissed. "We'll start in on researching the senator for you. His wife is accessing his credit card accounts as we speak and will be sending us a copy."

He kissed her again. "Love you, Babe."

"Love you, Cowboy. Have you got everything?"

"Yep. My vest and holster are in the truck." Walking over to the playpen he leaned over and gave their daughter a kiss on the top of her head. "Keep Mama out of trouble for me, kiddo."

Once he had gassed up the truck, Matt hit the road for Sacramento. He was hoping that the information that CJ received on the credit cards would send him in the right direction and get the case wrapped up quickly.

As he drove along the PI though about how politicians often ended up amidst scandal, due mostly to power. It wasn't unusual for someone with political aspirations to end up on the front page of the newspapers or gossip magazines. Matt wouldn't take cheating spouse cases but there had been a few times when other cases he had taken had ended up that way.

An hour into his trip CJ called and he hit the speaker button. "Hi Babe – whatcha got?"

"Not nearly what either one of us was hoping for I'm afraid. Senator Lloyd got a cash advance of $3,000 on one of his credit cards Thursday. There haven't been any transactions made on any of them or his bank accounts since then. But I did find something interesting."

"Oh?"

"Uh huh. He had a savings account with $113,674.39 cents in it up until last Monday when he closed it. It was given to him in cash."

"Oh boy, not good. Does the wife know about it?"

"She does now. I called to check with her and that was the first she knew about it."

"What is this guy worth, CJ?"

"About six million give or take."

"If he's planning on dropping off the face of the earth you would think he would take more of it with him…unless he's got more that Mrs. Lloyd doesn't know about." He thought for a minute. "I don't recall it, but has he been involved in anything questionable?"

"Only some dealings he had with a construction company a few years back. He was supposedly trying to help them land state contracts but it was never proven and the whole thing just seemed to disappear."

"But there haven't been any accusations of a mistress or anything like that, right?"

"Not a one. Everything else that I've run across paints him as being a hardworking member of the Conservative Party."

"Why did I agree to take this case?"

"Because you don't deal well with crying women?" The lawyer grinned. She could just see the disgusted look on his face.

"Hmm…well since you're in such a jovial mood why don't you go back through his credit cards and see if there is any particular place that he's stayed at in the past other than his home or apartment."

"Okay, I'll call you when I get done. Love you."

"Uh huh, sure you do." Matt smiled. "Love you, too. 'Bye." Groaning as he hung up the phone, the PI wished that he had flown to Sacramento. The helicopter would have been his first choice but it was undergoing maintenance. And the jet…he smiled as he thought about it. Everyone would be getting a big surprise Thanksgiving.

After stopping in Coalinga at the big steakhouse, Matt got back in the truck and finished the rest of the drive, singing along to some CDs and receiving another call from CJ when he was an hour outside of Sacramento.

"How's it going?"

"Pretty good I guess – kinda quiet. I stopped at the steakhouse."

"And you're still awake? It's a wonder." CJ knew how much he loved a good steak. "Just wanted to let you know I've been monitoring all his accounts and there has been absolutely no activity on any of them."

"Tell you what – try the airlines and private charters. See if he caught a flight somewhere. Mrs. Lloyd may not have a choice but to go to the cops. Somebody could have taken him."

"I spoke with her again half an hour ago; she's a basket case."

"Why do I have the feeling that this is going to end badly?"

"I'm beginning to feel that way, too…just be careful and watch your back, Cowboy."

"I will. Love you."

"Love you. 'Bye." She hung up the phone hoping that the case would be easier to solve than it now appeared.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

"Yes, Mrs. Lloyd…I understand. Goodbye." Carlos Mendez hung up the phone, looking across the desk. "It's alright, gentlemen - just a miscommunication." Sen. Lloyd's assistant dismissed the two security guards.

"Not so fast, fellas. I believe you have something that belongs to me." Matt stood facing the taller of the two guards that had his wallet. He checked through it before putting it back in his back pocket and sitting back down.

Once the men were gone, Mendez spoke. "Sorry for any inconvenience, Mr. Houston. I'm sure you can understand."

"I understand that you better have a word with those two when I leave here. That's the last time they'll lay hands on me and get away with it." Matt's glare seemed to somewhat unsettle the small, meticulously dressed man sitting across from him. "Now…I'm here on behalf of the senator's wife to find her husband. You better give me complete cooperation – or else."

"Or else what, Mr. Houston? Are you attempting to threaten me?"

"Or else I will immediately bring in law enforcement; we both know that Sen. Lloyd wouldn't like that at all. And it isn't a threat: it's a promise." Mendez didn't respond other than straightening his tie and settling his hands back on top of the desk. "Now, when was the last time you spoke with the man?"

"Thursday at approximately ten in the morning."

"And what was said?"

Mendez hesitated. "He told me that he would be gone until late Sunday. Things have been rather hectic and he felt the need to find some peace and quiet."

"You're his invaluable assistant…" Matt's words were dripping sarcasm. "Do you really expect me to believe that the senator didn't inform you where he would be staying? Or with whom?"

"Senator Lloyd is a married man. I don't appreciate the insinuations."

"I wonder how much he would appreciate you taking over his office. Some might find that suspicious – as well as your apparent lack of knowledge of his whereabouts." The PI stood and headed for the door, slamming it behind him as he left, and causing the secretary in the outer office to jump. Matt nodded. "Have a nice day."

Walking down the hallway toward the doors that he had come through earlier when he had been thrown against the marble entryway and had his left arm severely wrenched by the two guards, Matt's look shot daggers at the two.

Back outside in the parking lot, he took a deep breath before starting the truck and heading over to the Lloyds' apartment. Situated on the northwestern corner of K Street and 11th, the building's archway announced that it had been built in 1874 – the same year that the capitol building had been completed.

Matt was met inside by one of the management staff and after showing his ID he was informed that Mrs. Lloyd had called and given permission for him to enter the apartment. The noise in the lobby, though loud, wasn't as distracting as Lloyd had led his wife to believe. The assistant manager escorted the private investigator to the elevator, riding up to the third floor with him and opening the door. Matt thanked the man and waited until the door was closed before sliding on a pair of gloves. After looking through the living room and coming up empty, he headed for the bedroom. Starting with a chest of drawers next to the door, Matt began his search. Nestled in the sock drawer he found a bottle of Viagra which he put back. Moving to the bedside drawer, he found a box of condoms. Working his way on around, Matt opened the closet and searched it. At the far right end something white caught his eye. It was a terrycloth robe with a large "W" embroidered on the front. He pulled out his phone, snapping a picture of it before moving on to the bathroom.

Going through the drawers on the vanity, he came across a tube of red lipstick which he promptly popped into a small plastic bag. Just as he was about to close the drawer something shiny caught his attention. An earring with what appeared to be a birthstone was caught partially underneath the liner. There was nothing else suspicious in the room and he went to the kitchen, finding absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.

His next stop was the small office that was located between the bedroom and bath. As he began to open a filing cabinet he discovered that it was locked. His lock picks were out and the lock defeated in less than a minute. When he had replaced the picks in his left boot, Matt began looking through the labels on the folders' top tabs. All of the files in the top drawer were related to legislation that had been passed in the last two years as well as some that were currently being drafted and debated. He moved down to the second drawer. Most of the files reflected older bills and nothing out of place was discovered.

Squatting down in front of the filing cabinet, the PI began going through the files. The folders in the drawer contained correspondence to and from supporters, some of which were private individuals and some groups. It wasn't until he got to the very back of the drawer that Matt found anything of interest. "Hello…" He pulled a folder out that was labeled _"Amy"_. Matt opened the folder and began reading. The first page was a handwritten note informing Lloyd that the writer was pregnant with his child. She made it clear that she didn't want to cause a problem and only wanted support for the child.

Walking over behind the desk, Matt began taking pictures of each page in the file. When he was done, the folder was replaced and he went through the desk without finding anything else.

As he made sure that everything was as he had found it, the PI locked the door to the apartment, took the elevator down to the lobby and thanked the assistant manager for his help. Sliding behind the wheel of his truck, Matt looked at the time: 4:17PM. Driving north of the apartment he found a hotel and checked in for the night, ordering a pizza when he reached his room.

Pulling his laptop out of its case, he downloaded the pictures from his phone and blew them up on the computer for easier reading. Starting with the letter from Amy informing Cade Lloyd of the pregnancy, Matt worked his way through each page. Lloyd had asked for, and the woman agreed to, a paternity test as soon as the child was born. He immediately drew up an agreement whereby he would pay Amy $1,500 a month until the child's birth and then $3,000 a month until the child turned 21. In return he demanded complete secrecy about both the affair and the child. He requested updates about the child occasionally.

There was a knock at the door and Matt paid the delivery person and plopped down on the bed to continue reading as he ate the pizza. The child had been born seven months after the agreement was signed. Amy notified him that his daughter was healthy and beautiful and had enclosed a picture of little Caroline and herself along with the paternity test results. Taking a long swig of Fizzy Pop, Matt studied the image. Amy had long brunette hair and blue eyes. The baby was indeed beautiful and the senator had written back acknowledging the fact and had sent a gift for both mother and daughter: matching necklaces with their birthstones. Amy evidently shared the same birth month as the baby and Matt pulled up a browser to check the birthstone for August: peridot. That was the last page. There wasn't an address for Amy anywhere in the file. Lloyd had either stored it somewhere else or had it memorized.

He dialed CJ's number. "How are my ladies doing?"

"We miss you." CJ had just gotten done giving Catey her supper and a bath and the two were in the floor of the den playing. "How's it going?" Matt brought her up to date. "Well…it sounds like he cares for her and the baby – but he's definitely trying to avoid a scandal." Both were quiet for a minute. "I wonder how they met."

"That's what I want to know…she could have been a campaign volunteer."

"I suppose it's possible. There still hasn't been any activity on the credit cards. Can you get a list of volunteers from his assistant?"

"After the way he acted this afternoon? Probably not. Plus it might give the appearance of a scandal." The last was said sarcastically.

"I'll call Mrs. Lloyd and see if she can get a copy – but I don't think we should tell her about Amy and the baby yet."

"I don't either. Oh, I almost forgot: I'm sending you a picture of a monogram on a bathrobe. It looks like it's from a hotel. See if you can find out where. There wasn't a tag inside it so that won't help us."

"Okay. Anything else?"

"Yeah – I miss y'all."

"We miss you, too. Can you stay out of trouble tonight?"

"Maybe." They both laughed. "I'm going to try to get some more work done on this. Love you, Babe."

"You too, Cowboy. 'Bye." CJ hung up and looked down at their six month old daughter. Taking her feet into her hands she tickled them causing Catey Rose to burst into laughter. "You look just like your daddy when you do that." She leaned down and kissed her daughter's forehead. "We need to get this case finished and Daddy back home."

No sooner had Matt hung up, his phone rang. After looking at the caller ID he laughed as he answered. "Are you going stir crazy yet?"

LAPD Lt. Michael Hoyt sighed. "You don't have to sound so happy about it." The cop had been shot twice the week before and was not enjoying his time off. "What are you doing?"

"Sitting in a hotel room in Sacramento wishing I was at home." Without going into too much detail he told his friend what was going on.

"And you don't have a last name or address for the woman. Hmmm…you said you were going to see if she worked for the campaign." He got quiet for a minute. "You know, his wife doesn't know about the affair or the baby – there could be other things she doesn't know. Have you checked to see if he has any other property?"

"CJ was going to check on that. She didn't say anything about it. Guess I better call her back and ask."

"You just want to call her back so you can get all mushy on the phone." Although he joked about it, there was no doubt that the two were madly in love.

"That, too." Matt chuckled.

"Let me know if you need any help, PI. I'll just go back to being bored."

"Nah, you can catch up on all the soap operas you've been missing." After ending the call the private eye called his wife back. "Hey, what about the property search?"

"That's what I forgot. I couldn't do it – the website was down."

"No problem. I'll take care of it." They talked on for a few minutes before he hung up and pulled up the state website and found the right division. After a couple of minutes he had a hit. Cade Lloyd owned a small house in Esparto, California, not very far outside of Sacramento. The PI put away the computer and headed out to his truck. As he found his way to I-5, then onto Highway 16 he took out his phone and called CJ to let her know what he had found and that he was headed that way.

"Hon, be careful. Call me and let me know you're okay." She didn't like the fact that he was alone.

"I will. Love you."

"Love you, too." She hung up and sighed as she flipped the TV off and went back to folding laundry.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

When he was a couple of miles away from the house, Matt pulled off on a dirt road, checked his pistol and stepped out of the truck. He put on his holster and vest before getting back behind the wheel. Pulling up to the home a few minutes later he could see that there in the driveway of the home was the car registered to Cade Lloyd as well as a minivan. A couple of lights were on inside the home as well as the light on the front porch. He parked the truck and slid out, walking up to the front porch and ringing the doorbell. He could hear hushed whispering inside and could see movement. No one came to the door and he rang the bell again: nothing. In a quiet voice Matt spoke. "Senator Lloyd, my name's Matt Houston. I'm a private investigator working for your wife. She's worried about you. I'm going to hold my ID up to the peephole so you can see it." Carefully he pulled his PI license out of his shirt pocket and did it.

"Why have you got a gun?" A man's voice sounded from the other side of the door.

"'Cause I don't want to get shot, sir." He waited as a heated exchange ensued inside before the door was opened a fraction of an inch, the security chain still on.

"Let me see that ID and your driver's license."

"Okay." Matt handed it over and removed his license from his wallet and gave it to the man. After a short examination the door was opened.

"Is there anyone with you?"

"No sir."

"Come in." Lloyd stepped back and allowed him to enter. "Have a seat, Mr. Houston."

The PI carefully walked in and sat down an armchair.

"How did Cecilia find out I was here?"

"She doesn't know yet." Matt explained how she had hired him that morning and how his research had led him to their doorstep.

"But you haven't told her about Amy and the baby."

"No sir." He looked down at his hands for an instant and then back up at the senator. "I believe you should be the one to tell her. She's really upset and worried about you."

Lloyd put his head in his hands. "What am I going to do?" There was a cry from the other end of the house and Amy went to get the baby.

"Senator, the truth is usually the best option."

"What do I say? I love you, Cecilia but I also love another woman and have a child with her?"

"Don't you think it's only fair for her to know?" Matt watched as Amy came back in with Caroline and attempted to calm her with no success.

Matt stood. "May I?" He held out his hands toward the baby. Looking worriedly at Lloyd who nodded his head, Amy put little Caroline in the man's hands. "Hi there, Miss Caroline. I'm Matt. You know, I've got a little girl, too. Her name is Catey Rose." The baby took a shuddering breath as she looked at the man who was holding her. The cowboy pulled out his phone. "See? That's Catey and that's CJ." The baby touched the screen on the phone and Matt switched to another picture and the baby completely quit crying. "And that's Catey and me on my horse Cricket." He sat back down and let the baby hold the phone in her hands as she began laughing and jabbering. "You know Cricket always makes Catey happy, too." Looking across at the couple he grinned.

"I'm afraid she might tear it up." Amy gave him a worried look.

"She can't be any harder on it than I am. My wife has started calling me the "Phone Slayer"."

"Caroline doesn't usually like strangers. You must be okay." The young woman gave him a smile.

"Senator, if you don't mind me asking: why the disappearing act?"

"Someone is trying to blackmail me, Mr. Houston."

"Got any idea who it might be?" He bounced Caroline on his knee and she started giggling.

"No. I've tried to keep our relationship discreet." Looking ashamed, he looked down at his feet. "Amy and I met at a fund raising dinner for a charity. We were seated at the same table. Her date had cancelled and Cecilia was in LA. It was pretty boring and the food was terrible, but I can honestly say it was one of the best nights of my life." He gave the young woman a sad smile. "I'm ashamed that I betrayed my wedding vows but I'm not ashamed of my love for you, Amy…or Caroline."

"I know it's none of my business, sir: but don't you think you should at least let your wife know that you're okay? She's beginning to wonder if you've been kidnapped or killed." Lloyd nodded and pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and turned it on, his hands shaking as he pressed the buttons.

"Cecilia, it's me. No…no, I'm fine. Yes, he found me. No…Listen to me, please. I need to tell you something but I don't want to do it over the phone. No, I'm going to come there. We need to talk. I'll be there in about six hours. Okay…" He closed his eyes and a tear escaped. "I love you, too. Goodbye." The call was disconnected. Amy sat with her head in her hands, silently crying.

"What has the blackmailer threatened exactly?" Matt was now holding the baby in his left arm and she played with a loop on his vest sleepily.

"To expose what I've done."

"If you held a press conference and announced it yourself they would be out of luck."

"And his career would be over." Amy shook her head. "It's all my fault."

"No, it's nobody's fault but mine. I'm the one that broke my vows, not you." Cade put an arm around the younger woman and pulled her closer.

"You should go back to her and just pay that guy off."

"It would most likely continue." Matt looked at her. "Once you agree to pay a blackmailer they usually keep coming back for more."

"He's right. And I not only lied to Cecilia but to my constituents as well. I don't deserve their trust." He tilted her head up to look into her eyes. "I'm going to tell Cecilia tonight and tomorrow I'm resigning." He kissed her cheek and then stood up. "Truthfully, I'm tired of the Senate. It's time for me to quit."

Standing up, Matt handed a sleeping Caroline back to her mother. "She's beautiful."

"Thank you." Amy walked back and put the baby back in her crib and returned to the living room.

"Have there been any physical threats?" The PI put his IDs back into his wallet and the wallet back into his jeans pocket.

"No, he's just been demanding money."

"Do you think there's a chance that this person would try to hurt you two or the baby?"

"No. The only concern seems to be money." He turned to Amy. "I'll call you in the morning." Pulling her into his arms he gave her a hug and a kiss before heading to the front door.

"Nice to meet you." Matt shook hands with Amy and followed Lloyd to the door. "Lock up good, okay?"

"I will. Thank you, Mr. Houston." She watched as the two headed out the door.

Matt started up the truck and turned east headed toward Sacramento. He dialed CJ's number. "Hey, I found him and I'm going back to the hotel to check out and head that way."

"Is he okay?"

"Yeah. I'll explain it when I get there. Love you."

"Love you…and be careful."

"I will. See you in a little while." He hung up and thought about the mess that Lloyd now found himself in. It was almost 4:00AM by the time Matt made it back home. He had been delayed by an accident on I-5 and breathed a sigh of relief as he turned into the driveway of the ranch. Coming in through the kitchen door, he headed through the den toward the bedroom until he spied CJ curled up asleep in his recliner. Walking over to her, he gently brushed her cheek with his hand.

"Hi." She gave him a sleepy smile and stood up, her arms going around his neck as they kissed. Matt pulled her closer, then slid his arm around and behind her legs, picking her up and carrying her back to their bedroom.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4 **

While Matt still slept, CJ got up with Catey Rose at 7:00AM and was giving the baby her breakfast when her husband padded into the kitchen in search of coffee. "Good morning."

"Howdy." He took a drink of the coffee and rolled his neck around trying to work out a kink. Sitting down next to CJ he leaned over and the two shared a kiss. "How's my Lady Bug this morning?" He reached over and played with one of Catey's curly locks of hair and received a giggle for an answer.

"So what happened with Lloyd?" CJ stood up and began massaging his neck as Matt told her how events had unfolded the night before. Suddenly she popped his head neck to the right and there was a loud _*pop*_. "Better?" She continued to rub his neck and shoulders.

"Yeah, thanks." He watched as CJ walked across the kitchen and opened the fridge. "How about we hit the Waffle Hut this morning?" He got up and walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Are you going in to the office?"

"Yeah, I need to finish up the paperwork on Lloyd and…" The phone rang. Matt stepped over and answered it. "Houston."

"Mr. Houston, Cade Lloyd here. Would you be able to meet this morning?"

"Uh, well…yes sir. It's going to be an hour or so. Where do you want to meet?"

"Would your office be okay? I may need your help."

"Okay, I'll see you in an hour then." He looked at the phone as the call was disconnected. Turning to retrieve his coffee, Matt gave CJ a surprised look. "That was Sen. Lloyd."

"Wonder what he wants?" She removed their daughter from her high chair and put Catey into her playpen in the den before following Matt back to the bedroom. As he headed for the shower she began getting dressed.

"Don't know unless it's got to do with the blackmail attempt." By the time he got out of the shower and began dressing, CJ was dressed, had fixed breakfast, and was in the finishing stages of dressing Catey.

After hurriedly downing the waffles that CJ had fixed, Matt carried their daughter out and strapped her into the car seat in CJ's Navigator. He followed her to the office and as they exited the elevator, there stood Cade and Cecilia Lloyd in the lobby of the office.

After greeting the pair and introducing CJ and Catey, Matt ushered them into the office. "What can I do for you?" He poured four cups of coffee and invited the couple to have a seat at the poker table.

"First I'd like to thank you for doing such a wonderful job of finding Cade yesterday. I never dreamed that you would be able to do it so quickly." Cecilia gave Matt a warm smile.

"There was a lot of luck involved."

"And I would like to thank you for being so discreet about the whole thing." Lloyd took a sip of coffee. "I'm going to announce my resignation at 4:00 this afternoon." CJ came in to join them after getting Catey settled in to the playpen in her office. Unconsciously, Matt put an arm around her as she sat down next to him.

"I told you about the blackmail attempts and I would really like to know who was behind it."

"Excuse me for asking, Senator, but if you're resigning what difference does it make?" CJ looked at the man over her coffee cup.

"I guess it's mostly the principal of the matter, but I really won't feel completely safe until I know who it was. I'm afraid they might go after Cecilia or Amy and Caroline." Looking ashamed, Lloyd looked down into the coffee cup. "Cecilia and I plan to divorce."

Mrs. Lloyd spoke up. "Cade and I have really been drifting apart for a few years now. I love him but I'm not really in love with him if that makes sense. We've been going through the motions for so long…" She shrugged. "I wish them well."

"It's nice that you two have reached such an amicable agreement. It's very rare." CJ gave them a nod.

"What information do you have on the blackmailer?" Matt took another sip.

"Not much I'm afraid." The senator reached into his coat pocket and removed three envelopes, sliding them across to Matt.

"How many people have handled these?" Matt didn't touch them.

"I'm not sure. The first was delivered two weeks ago by mail to my office in Sacramento and was included in a stack of mail on my desk. It was most likely handled by my secretary and my assistant."

"What about the other two?"

"The second was slid under the door of my apartment and the third was delivered to the house in Esparto. I know Amy has touched it."

"Senator, don't you think it would be wise to call in the police on this?" Matt sat back in the chair and scratched his moustache with the back of his thumb.

"I would prefer not to do that. This whole thing is going to be hard enough to deal with without the added excitement that news of blackmail is likely to bring."

"I've got some friends with LAPD that would probably check out the prints for me but I can't guarantee it."

"If you trust them to be discreet – okay."

"Alright." The PI reached into his back pocket and pulled out a notebook. "I need to get some information from you and CJ will need to get you to sign a contract. And I want you to understand: just like I told Mrs. Lloyd yesterday – I can't guarantee results."

"Understood."

"I could take care of the contract while you two work on the details." Cecilia looked at CJ.

"We can do that. If you'll come with me…" The two women got up from the table and went into CJ's office. Catey started jabbering when they walked into the room and Cecilia stopped to speak to her as the lawyer sat down behind her desk, retrieved a blank contract on her computer, and began filling in the section describing the nature of the investigation.

"She's a very happy child." Cecilia took a seat across from CJ.

"Thank goodness – she only gets fussy when she's teething." The lawyer smiled. "We've been very lucky." After printing out the contract she looked into the outer office. "I've got it ready if you'd like to go over it."

Cade Lloyd waked into the office followed by Matt. Catey started squealing when she saw her dad; the PI leaned over and picked her up, receiving a sloppy kiss on the end of his nose. He blew a raspberry on her belly sending her into peals of laughter and causing all four adults to laugh.

After CJ went over the terms of the contract and both of the Lloyds had signed it, they left. Matt pulled out his phone and called Cheryl Crawford, a crime scene tech with the LAPD as well as a good friend.

Cheryl answered on the first ring. "Hey, Houston – how's it going?"

"Pretty good. How about you?"

"Not too bad. I'm finishing up some work for Lee Jennings right now."

"Can I ask for a favor?"

"Sure – whatcha need?"

After swearing her to secrecy he explained what was going on and what he needed. "I realize that we might have a bunch of prints on there but I have a couple of folks in mind that are possible suspects. If we find one of their prints…"

"I gotcha. If it was turned over to LAPD I would be running the prints anyway and you _are_ an advisor, sooooo – bring 'em on down."

"Thanks, Cheryl. I owe you one." Matt slid the envelopes into a plastic bag and stepped into CJ's office. "Going to take these to Cheryl. Be back in a few minutes. Can you start on these guys?" He leaned across her desk and kissed her as he handed her a list. "Love you."

"Love you. Tell Cheryl hello for me."

After dropping off the letters, Matt came back to the office where CJ was sitting in front of BABY pulling up information on some of the possible suspects. He stepped over the back of the couch and sat down next to her. "So what have we got so far?"

"I see why you suspect Carlos Mendez – he looks like a weasel."

"What did you find on him?"

"Carlos Caesar Mendez, age 32, born in San Diego. His father works construction and his mother is a cashier at a grocery. He graduated from high school in the top ten percent of his class and went to community college in San Diego before transferring to USC here in town. Fair grades, no trouble with the law and that seems to be where he got interested in politics. His first office was as secretary of his class his junior year. The next year he threw his hat into the race for class president and got less than one percent of the vote."

"Bet that was him voting for himself." Matt snickered.

"Quite possibly. Anyway, he began working as a volunteer for the Conservative Party later on that year before being hired as a full-time staff member for Congressman Holt Jorgen. Mendez spent time working in DC during Jorgen's first term in office. During that time he was hired by Senator Mark Ludlow and worked for him. Now this is where it gets interesting. Mendez was suddenly let go and came back to California and went to work for an advertising agency until he met Cade Lloyd during his candidacy for State Senator."

"That's a pretty big step down from DC politics. He must have really ticked someone off."

"That's the impression I got as well. Anyway, he's been Lloyd's right-hand man ever since. He doesn't appear to have a personal life at all."

"Okay what about those two guards that tried to make me part of the marble wall inside the Capitol Building?"

"You're going to love this. The taller one is Bert Morris and the short one – hang onto your seat – Ernie Larkins." She looked at Matt who immediately cracked up.

"Bert and Ernie? Seriously?" He shook his head. "Okay, what's the story on them?"

"It seems they've hung out together since high school. Both got into trouble for underage drinking and fighting. Both were rejected by the Army. I'm not sure of the connection, but it seems that they were hired on at the Capitol at the recommendation of Mendez about a year ago."

"I sure would like to know what brought them together." He thought for a minute.

"I just started looking at Amy when you got here." She hit a few keys. "Her full name is Amy Renee Louis, age 27, born and raised in the Sacramento area. Her parents were Terrence and Patricia Louis. He was a plumber and she was a hair dresser."

"Was as in no longer living?" Matt's arm went across the back of the couch behind his wife.

"Yes. Both were apparently very big in their church. They both sold their businesses and home when Amy turned 21 and was taking college classes. Do you remember hearing about the group of missionaries in the Amazon that were killed?"

"They were part of the group. Wow. Okay…she and the senator met at a charity fundraiser when her date had cancelled and his wife was here in LA…" The frown on his face clued CJ in to what he was thinking.

"And she had a job at a department store while going to school…so how did she end up there?" CJ ran her fingers through the curls at the base of his neck.

"It does make you wonder. That was about a year and a half ago…" He chewed on it for a minute. "Lloyd received all three of the letters in Sacramento." Reaching into his back pocket for his notebook, Matt looked at the information that he had jotted down about the letters. "The return address for the first one was in Sacramento. Look up 492 West Conklin Avenue there. Although what blackmailer is going to put a return address on a demand letter?"

"It's a phony – there isn't any such address."

"I'm going back to Sacramento and look around some, CJ – I've got a feeling that's where our blackmailer is… and I really believe it's one of those four."

"I'll keep looking." She took his hand as he stood up." Hon, be extra careful – you don't have any backup, remember?"

"I will. Love you." He gave her a kiss.

"Love you." She watched as he went over the back of the couch. "And call me."

"Yes ma'am." He went down the steps to the elevator whistling one of his favorite songs.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

Matt's timing on I-5 was impeccable: he made great time arriving in Sacramento just after 1:00 in the afternoon. He pulled into a Burger Nerd and ordered at the drive-thru, then parked under the shade of a tree. He had just taken a big bite of burger when his phone rang. "Mey mababe."

"It isn't polite to talk with your mouth full." She laughed. "I thought you might want the address for Bert and Ernie."

Matt gulped down the bite. "Please don't tell me they live together."

"Yup." She heard a noise on the other end of the line and then the sound of him blowing his nose. "So you were taking a drink when I told you?"

"Uh huh." He blew his nose again. "Dang that burns. Okay, give me the address." He wrote it down. "Have you heard anything back from Cheryl yet?"

"Not yet. So what's the plan?"

"I think I'm going to take the opportunity of Lloyd's staff members being out on the steps with their boss to try to get a look inside the office. But first I'm going to go check out the terrible twosome's place and then Mendez's apartment."

"Okay. Be careful."

"I will. Love you. 'Bye."

"Love you."

Matt ate the rest of his burger and headed for the apartment that Morris and Larkins shared. It was on the bottom floor in a rundown complex. Picking the lock, he let himself in and quietly closed and relocked the door behind him. "Gross." On the coffee table there were stacks of pizza boxes, Chinese food containers, and empty beer cans. There was dirty laundry everywhere and the apartment smelled like the bottom of a gym locker. As he worked his way through the clutter he found a stack of bills on the kitchen table, but nothing relating to Senator Lloyd. A subsequent search of the bedroom revealed nothing more interesting than a set of bunk beds. Snickering as he let himself out and walked back to the truck, the PI came to the conclusion that Bert and Ernie were most likely too lazy and too stupid to try to pull off a blackmail attempt.

Matt's next stop was at the apartment of Carlos Mendez. It wasn't in the swankiest part of town but couldn't have been more opposite of what he had just seen at the other apartment.

When he entered, Matt noticed that nothing was out of place and it looked like no one actually lived there. It was completely cold and sterile with no personal items visible whatsoever other than the assistant's diplomas hanging on the wall. There were no photos, no keepsakes, nothing sentimental at all. Mendez's computer was more secured than most but Matt got past it and looked through the files. After coming up empty-handed he looked through the drawers and finally came across something that although interesting, didn't confirm a blackmail plot. He found that Mendez had been booted from Senator Mark Ludlow's employment: he had been fired for making unwanted sexual advances on Ludlow. The PI scoured the files in the apartment but came up empty.

He left and drove toward Discovery Park, trying to figure out his next move when his phone rang. It was almost 4:00. "Hey, Cheryl."

"Hi. I've got some results for you…kind of."

"Okay, let's have it."

"There were two sets of prints in common on all of the envelopes and letters. One was the senator's. The other was unknown. Sorry I couldn't give you something better but I did rule out the three suspects that you gave me."

"You gave me what was there – nothing for you to feel bad about. Thanks."

"You're welcome – and good luck."

Matt hung up the phone as he pulled into a parking space and looked at his watch once more. It was 3:47 – thirteen minutes before Cade Lloyd was scheduled to resign. The PI wondered what the man's life would be like. Would he find another job of some sort and settle down with Amy and their baby? Would he and Cecilia sell the house in LA? He was sure Lloyd would ditch the apartment.

A thought struck him and he called Lloyd's cell phone. "Have you found anything yet?" The senator sounded sad. If what Matt was beginning to suspect was true, he would be significantly sadder.

"I'm not sure. Could you refresh my memory about the last letter that you received from the blackmailer?"

"Sure, uh, it was delivered to the house in Esparto. Amy called me about it."

"Other than yourself, who else handled all three letters?"

"No one. Mr. Houston, I don't understand what you're getting at."

"I'm not totally sure myself just yet. I'll call you back." He hung up and then called Cheryl back. "Hey, if I could get some clear prints and take a picture of them with my phone would you be able to use them?"

"Sure, just get as clean of a picture as you can."

"I'll call you back." He hung up and left Discovery Park headed for Esparto. Hoping that he wouldn't get a ticket, Matt cut the forty five minute drive down to thirty and pulled up in front of Amy's house. Reaching into the toolbox under his back seat he extracted a tube of graphite and some packaging tape.

As he went up the front steps Amy answered the door, Caroline in one arm and a baby bottle in the other hand. "Mr. Houston – I wasn't expecting you. Cade called a few minutes ago. He made his announcement and is on his way here."

"I had a feeling he would be and thought maybe I would wait for him here - if that's okay with you of course. He said he needed to talk to me."

"Sure, come on in." She turned and Matt walked in and closed the door behind him. "You'll have to excuse me for a minute. Caroline needs a fresh diaper." Amy set the bottle down on the coffee table. "Just have a seat." She headed back to the nursery.

As soon as she was out of sight Matt pulled a pair of gloves out of his pocket along with a sheet of paper. He took the tube of graphite and carefully misted it over the sides of the baby bottle, the excess dropping on the paper. Amy's fingerprints appeared and he took a piece of the packaging tape and lifted the prints putting them on a sheet of paper from his notebook. Moving the bottle aside he rolled the sheet of paper up, trapping the excess graphite inside and folded it into a package.

"Hey Amy, I just got a call. Tell Lloyd I'll catch up with him later." He grabbed up the bottle, the package of graphite, and the paper with prints on it and took off for his truck, heading back east as quickly as possible. He pulled off the road into a gas station parking lot and parked behind the building before snapping a picture of the prints with his phone. He sent them to Cheryl and then called her.

"Can you compare those prints to the ones on the letters?"

"Yeah, these are really clear. What did you use?"

"Graphite and packing tape." Matt drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he waited. Cheryl came back on the line a couple of minutes later. "Houston, they're a match."

"I was afraid of that. Thanks." He disconnected the call and pushed a couple of other buttons calling Cade Lloyd.

"Mr. Houston, what is going on?"

"Where are you?"

"On my way to Esparto."

"Meet me at the gas station on Highway 16 just east of town. I'm parked around back. I've got some news for you." He hung up, not wanting to break the news to the man over the phone. Once again he called Cheryl. "Hey, I'm going to call you one more time and I want you to tell the senator what you found, okay?"

"I'll do it."

"Thanks, hon." He hung up, went inside the store and got two cups of coffee. Dropping the tailgate on the truck and having a seat, he sipped on the coffee until Lloyd showed up.

"What is going on?" The now former senator appeared to be not only worried but angry as well.

Handing the man the other cup of coffee, he spoke. "Get in." Matt motioned to the passenger side of the truck. He slid in behind the wheel as Lloyd got in and saw the baby bottle in the plastic bag.

"What's this?"

"You told me that you were the only one to touch all three of the demand letters."

"Yeah – so?"

"So you weren't." He dialed Cheryl once again and asked her to repeat the findings. Lloyd's face fell when he heard the news. "Thanks, Cheryl." The PI disconnected the call.

"Why would she do it?" He looked around. "I just gave up everything I've worked for my entire life."

"That wasn't what she wanted. All she wanted from you was money."

"No…no, this has got to be a mistake."

"There's no mistake. Her fingerprints were on the bottle and all three of those letters. Now - did you ever show them to her?"

"No." Lloyd sounded crushed.

"Think back. Did you two ever have a condom to break?"

"Not that I knew of, but…I mean things like that can happen."

"Okay, what do you know about Amy?"

"Her parents were missionaries who died in the Amazon."

"Did she tell you that when she turned twenty one they both sold their businesses and the family home to go on the mission trip? And that she was left alone here without any support?"

"No, she didn't tell me all that but that doesn't mean…"

"Why was she at a charity fundraiser if she was a broke college student?"

"I…her dated cancelled."

"Do you know who her date was?"

"No."

"But you two got together that night didn't you? That was the first time wasn't it?"

"Yes, but…I…" He floundered around for a minute.

"Look, Mr. Lloyd. The way I see it you've got a couple of ways to handle the situation. You could call the cops and prosecute her – we've got the evidence…or you could attempt to settle this between the two of you." Matt drank down the rest of the coffee.

"She's the mother of my only child."

"Were you planning on having a child with her?"

"No. I never really wanted children."

"She played you. It happens. What you choose to do is up to you. But I will say this: if you ignore the facts, don't prosecute, and don't say anything to her about it, what's to stop her from killing you after you get married and getting your money that way? Or killing you even if you don't get married…Caroline is your heir after all."

Cade Lloyd sat in silence for a moment. "Who should I call?"

"Start with Sacramento PD – it started there."

"What would you do?"

"Do you really think you can trust her after all of this?"

"No."

"Call the cops."


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

The next afternoon as he walked out of the Sacramento Police Headquarters, Matt pulled out his phone. "Hey, Babe. I'm on the way home."

"Okay, Catey and I will be there waiting for you. How did it go?"

"It went. She was just booked into the jail about half an hour ago. Lloyd's got custody of the baby."

"What a mess. Well, come on home, Cowboy. We miss you."

"Miss you, too. See you in a few hours. Love you."

"We love you." CJ was holding Catey and the baby let out a loud squeal. "She says hurry home, Daddy."

"Believe me – I can't get there soon enough."


End file.
